Dear Friend, I see you (2026)
is an first person, essayistic, and poetic documentary film project grounded in the experience of a Gen X Ukrainian-American filmmaker, Dear friend, I see you. explores trauma’s capacity to catalyze spiritual growth. Weaving together a lifetime of diaspora memories, family archives, and digital media spanning from the 2014 Revolution of Dignity to the current full-scale invasion, the film tracks the director’s journey of processing what it means to be emotionally intertwined with war while remaining safely out of the line of fire. It captures a vital personal shift from depleting, anger-fueled digital advocacy toward a balanced, loving acceptance of human complexity.
The narrative flows like a challenging yet supportive conversation with a friend. Mostly remaining off-screen, the narrator uses voiceover letters addressed to her past selves, loved ones, and fictionalized composites of online archetypes. Ultimately, the film uses the Ukrainian experience to expand compassion toward all communities facing conflict—and inward toward ourselves, creating space for true healing and growth.